Brotherly Love
by splitseconddecision
Summary: How different would life be if Harry had an older brother? A siblingwholived cliche, but twisted into something new. Rated for later chapters.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Brotherly Love

**Author:** Riru-chan

**Disclaim: **Harry Potter and all related characters and situations belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N:** Alas, I have been bitten by the sibling-story bug; oh! woe to the unwary reader!

.p.r.o.l.o.g.u.e.

On July 31, 1980, Lily Evans-Potter gave birth to a beautiful, healthy little boy. She and her husband, James Potter, were ecstatic about the new addition to their family. Hadrian Cain Potter wasn't nearly so pleased.

After the entirety of his short life as an only child, the sudden transfer of attention to his new baby brother was irritating, to say the least. The three-year-old pouted as James and Lily cooed over the newborn Harry James, feeling very dejected indeed.

"What's with the long face, my little Shadow?" Hadrian's somber expression disappeared at the sound of his favorite surrogate uncle's voice.

"Pa'foot!" he cried, with the exuberant joy that can only be found in the very young. Sirius Black, still wearing the leather jacket he always wore in accompaniment with his motorcycle, hoisting up the toddler and twirling him around, before tossing him into the air. Hadrian giggled madly, momentarily forgetting his brother's usurpation of their parents' attentions.

"Well, now, that's better," Sirius said with a grin, once he had stopped giving Hadrian a mini-roller coaster ride. "What had you so upset, Shadow?" Hadrian paused, thoughtful, as though he had forgotten his anger. After a moment, the memory evidently returned to him, and he sent a glare in the direction of his parents and brother.

"Ah," Sirius said with a sardonic smile, "jealousy rears its ugly head." Having dealt with a younger brother of his own, Sirius was an expert on the subject of sibling rivalry. Hadrian looked at Sirius, as if confused by his terminology, but declined to make a comment. He then returned his attentions to his parents, who had yet to realize that their best friend had invited himself in.

"Say, Hadrian," Sirius said, noting the wistful look in Hadrian's eyes, "have you gotten to meet your little brother yet? Properly, I mean." Hadrian wrinkled his nose, causing Sirius to chuckle. "I'll take that as a 'no.'" Shifting the boy so that he carried him to the side, Sirius meandered over to the jubilant parents and cleared his throat.

"It's a sad, sad day for Sirius Black when his best friends don't acknowledge his arrival," the young man said, snapping James and Lily out of their blissful daze. James jumped up to give his surrogate brother a one-armed hug, taking Hadrian from him with the other arm.

"I guess we have been in our own world," James said sheepishly as Hadrian clutched at him possessively. Sirius chuckled and leaned over Lily to allow the newborn Harry to grasp his finger.

"With good reason, too," Sirius said, grinning mischievously, "This one'll be a looker. Who'd you sleep with to give your son these gorgeous features, Lil?" Lily gave a tinkling laugh as James swatted his friend good-naturedly.

Hadrian glanced at Harry's sleeping form, looking dubious about the fuss the adults were making.

"Now, Shadow over there tells me he hasn't gotten to meet his brother yet," Sirius said, reprimanding. "How 'bout you give him a chance, eh?"

"Good heavens, you're right!" Lily cried, looking shocked. James blinked, and carried the reluctant Hadrian over to the sofa where Lily sat with the baby.

"Hadrian," James began, sitting down next to Lily with the toddler on his lap, "I'd like you to meet your new brother, Harry James Potter." Lily brought Harry closer to Hadrian, allowing him to get his first real look at his baby brother.

"Be very gentle, Hadrian, he's still fragile," Lily said kindly. Hadrian didn't know what fragile meant, but he did know the word "gentle." The toddler reached out a finger to the baby, like he'd seen Sirius do moments before, allowing Harry to grip a few of his fingers.

Harry blinked his eyes open for a moment, the already emerald green meeting with Hadrian's greenish-hazel.

At that moment, when Hadrian saw the emerald eyes so like those of their mother, he knew that he would do anything to protect his baby brother.

Anything.

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

"Hurry up, Harry!" four-year-old Hadrian called, growing slightly impatient with the toddling gait of his baby brother. He allayed this annoyance with the sight of Harry's fiercely concentrated emerald eyes, as the younger brother struggled to keep up. He couldn't fault the little one for trying. After a few more moments of attempting to catch up, Harry sat down with a stubborn thump.

"Hadrie, hun'ry," Harry said demandingly, glaring at the older boy until Hadrian attended him.

"You're always hungry," Hadrian told the baby, picking him up off the ground and setting him on his unsteady feet. Hadrian allowed Harry to use him as a brace as the two made their way back to the thatched, quaint little cottage called Godric's Hollow. "Mum!" Hadrian called as he entered the cottage through the side door in the kitchen. He received no answer, and hesitated slightly.

"Hadrie, tummy feels funny," Harry whined quietly, his emerald eyes darting around nervously.

"I know you're hungry, Harry, just—" Hadrian cut off his sentence as he saw the one-year-old's uncharacteristically tense expression. "Harry? Why does your tummy feel funny?" Harry looked slightly confused as he replied, as if he didn't know his own words.

"Bad man coming," he said mulishly, eyes glimmering with unshed, terrified tears. Hadrian gulped — his mother had told him about a particularly bad man who was after their family, and whenever Harry got like this, he was usually correct. Shaking himself to clear his head of panic, Hadrian called again, his young voice tremulous.

"M-mum? Mummy?" He set Harry on the floor, holding the younger brother's hand so he could keep up. They walked through the kitchen and into the small den, where their mother usually sat and read as her sons played in the back garden.

At first, Hadrian thought the room was empty; the lights were out, and it was silent. "Mum?" Hadrian tried again, now shivering as a result of the bad feeling he was getting from Harry's statement. Hadrian felt a low chill travel down his spine as a morbid chuckle sounded through the room.

"I'm afraid your mother isn't here right now." Hadrian watched in horror as a tall, pale figure clothed in black emerged from the shadows. He immediately stepped in front of his baby brother, who clung desperately to his jacket. The figure towered over them, the fading light from the outside lighting up a skeletal face so twisted and ugly that Hadrian felt he might scream, had he not been raised a Gryffindor. Gryffindors never got scared.

Hadrian had every reason to be terrified, for he recognized the lurid parody of a man from the scary stories his father told him when his mother couldn't hear. This was surely Voldemort, the scourge of the wizarding world.

"Sssso…" Voldemort hissed, amusement tingeing his words, "you think you can protect him from me, do you boy?"

Hadrian set his jaw, ever defiant. He had to protect Harry, just as he had always known. Voldemort's eyes narrowed, all traces of amusement gone.

"You'll regret this, boy. However… I have more important things to take care of than you." With a wave of his wand and a murmur that Hadrian couldn't comprehend, Voldemort had frozen the four-year-old in place. Harry, still hiding behind his now-rigid brother, trembled as Voldemort drew nearer. Hadrian's mind screamed, and Hadrian wished emphatically that Harry had the strength and physical ability to run for his life.

Unfortunately, a one-year-old's legs are not built for speed, and his mind is not built to function for self-preservation. Voldemort soon held his wand to the child's forehead, his malicious grin warping his face into something more sinister than anything had the right to appear.

"Avada Kedavra," the sinister apparition intoned, watching with unconcealed glee as the characteristic green light shot into Harry's head. Harry slumped slightly, causing Voldemort to laugh maniacally as he began to turn to Hadrian.

His torturing session was precluded, however, as the green light that still surrounded Harry's body arced back to the Dark Lord, causing the semblance of a man to gasp before disappearing in a bolt of green lightening.

Hadrian felt himself able to move again, and immediately rushed to his brother, who was starting to cry pitifully for their mother.

After assuring himself that Harry was merely scared, not hurt, Hadrian continued to explore the cottage, searching for his parents. He found their bodies in the next room, still glowing green with their eyes wide open in fear. Hadrian cringed and fell to his knees, eyes shining with tears.

"Mummy? Daddy?" he sniffled, reaching out his hand to touch his mother's. He drew it back quickly; her skin was already cold.

Roughly, he wiped his tears away, standing up it swallowing the sobs that threatened to return.

Harry was still downstairs, and Hadrian had to protect him. No matter what.

.t.o. .b.e. .c.o.n.t.i.n.u.e.d.

A/N: I know Hadrian seems a bit to mature for a four-year-old, but it's necessary for the story. Let's just say that Harry has that influence on people, and Hadrian is a protective person by nature.

Hadrian Cain Potter belongs to me (the name Hadrian has been used before, I know, but this one is a different person.) He is named in honor of a Roman Emperor (Hadrianus Augustus), as well as Cain from the biblical story of Cain and Abel. :mysterious, authory grin: For another hint of what may come… I will be introducing another character later in the story named Antinous.

Just a reassurance, Harry will be the main character. Hadrian was the focus of this chapter mainly because he is the only one of the brothers who can actually form intelligent thought. And also because wanted to introduce him. :D

Please tell me how I'm doing!


	2. Chapter 1

**Title:** Brotherly Love

**Author:** Riru-chan

**Disclaim: **Harry Potter and all related characters and situations belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended. Hadrian Cain Potter, the prose and the plotline are property of Riru-chan, please do not use without permission.

**A/N:** FYI, if you enjoy reading these types of stories, please join my C2 group, TheSiblingWhoLived! It'd also be very helpful if you gave me archive suggestions. :) Just for clarification, **Dumbledore never heard the prophecy in this story.**

.c.h.a.p.t.e.r. .o.n.e.

The old man was pacing up and down through his office, occasionally sending speculative glances to the two young boys who were cuddled together in an armchair. Hadrian held a protective arm around his little brother, who was still shivering with fear.

Albus Dumbledore sighed and stopped pacing. "You're sure?" Dumbledore asked Hadrian. "You're sure he shot the curse at you and not Harry?" Hadrian nodded, feeling slightly guilty for lying to the kind old man who had given him a lemon drop. Dumbledore sighed, massaging the bridge of his long, crooked nose with his fingers. He started pacing again, muttering to himself.

"It would make sense," he murmured. Hadrian had to strain to hear him. "He is older, after all. But the scar…" Hadrian glanced at Harry's forehead, tracing the red, lightning bolt-shaped cut with his finger.

In all honesty, Hadrian didn't know why he lied to the old man. Something… pushed him to do it. Some basic instinct, reminiscent of the first time he laid eyes on his brother, compelled him to shelter Harry from everything, including the prying of this old man. If Hadrian knew what self-preservation was at four-years-old, he would have described it as the opposite. This was a sacrifice, though Hadrian did not know what he was sacrificing himself for.

"Well, things don't always turn out the way we plan," Dumbledore said somberly, putting a hand on Hadrian's shoulder as if in comfort. "I'm very sorry for your loss, my boy. You will both be sent to live with your godfather, Sirius Black."

Hadrian spirits lifted slightly. After all, he loved his godfather very dearly.

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

Life at Sirius Black's house was interesting, to say the least. Hadrian both loved it and hated it alternately. Sirius was a kind man, if a little irresponsible at times, and took care of his godsons with a fervor.

But he took care of Hadrian more. Hadrian knew in the back of his mind that Sirius didn't mean to pay more attention to one boy than the other, but Sirius always told Hadrian that he was _special_.

Special, because he had defeated the greatest Dark Lord since Grindelwald when he was only four years old. Special, because he had survived a curse that was supposed to be unfailingly fatal.

Hadrian hated it. He had never actually done anything; he'd just stood there, helpless, and watched his little brother be cursed nearly into oblivion.

And Harry — Harry was no longer the determined toddler who would stand up and walk after falling down five times. He was meek, constantly trembling, and scared of his own shadow. He constantly had nightmares, but only Hadrian could hear him whimpering through the walls, and only Hadrian could comfort him.

And how would Harry feel, if he were the one to receive the attention — if he were the one revered for the scene that plagued him nightly in his dreams? Hadrian supposed that was why he sacrificed himself: for Harry's own sanity.

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

At seven years old, Harry was a quiet child. Many thought it was just in his nature to be withdrawn, and commented on the difference between the younger Potter boy and his late, illustrious father. Harry ignored these comments, because he knew the truth.

It was the nightmares that made him this way. They came when he least expected them, when he was too exhausted from resisting them to prevent the scenes from dancing across the forefront of his mind.

Hadrian would always wake him up, for which Harry was eternally grateful. Harry never remembered much from the dreams. Only a few things stuck in his mind: his brother standing between him and a dark specter, a flash of green light, and maniacal laughter.

He supposed this was a memory. He had grown up being told about his parents' death, and how Hadrian protected him from the Dark Lord and in doing so, defeated him.

Harry was so proud of his brother, the savior of the world. He knew Hadrian hated it when people called him that, but to Harry, there was nothing more true.

It was a rainy summer, that summer before Hadrian turned eleven, and Harry and Hadrian were one day looking out onto the expanse of damp scenery that surrounded Potter Manor. Unlike Godric's Hollow, which was a summer house before the war turned it into a safe house, Potter Manor was the ancestral home of the Potter Clan.

After the terrible events of Halloween 1981, the boys had been given over to the care of Sirius Black, and they all lived quite happily in the sprawling mansion.

"When do you think it'll stop raining?" Harry asked his brother idly, impatient to play outside.

"I dunno," Hadrian replied glumly, leaning his chin on his hand. They both stared at the rain for a moment, until Harry spotted it.

"Look Hadrie! An owl!" he cried excitedly, jumping up and pointing at the object of interest, which was furiously flapping its wings against the buffeting winds. The duo looked on impatiently as the owl approached them, staring as it tapped on the window.

Stunned, Hadrian opened the window and let the poor thing in. It gave a small hoot and shook the rain from its feathers, spraying the boys with droplets. Harry wrinkled his nose, while Hadrian laughed and removed the charmed-dry envelope from the owl's grasp. Turning it over in his hands, Hadrian noted with a start that it was addressed to him. He flipped it over, revealing a red wax seal with a stylized "H".

Harry gave a joyous laugh. "It's your Hogwarts letter!" he exclaimed, jumping up and running out of the room to go and find Sirius. Hadrian followed, a slow smile spreading across his face.

He paused at the door as a terrible thought struck him, wiping the smile from his face.

This meant he would have to leave Harry.

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

Harry didn't much care for Diagon Alley, mostly because Hadrian hated it. There had never been a time when the makeshift family (Sirius had to be with them at all times, of course) had walked down without being accosted by well-wishers or Hadrian's fans.

He especially hated it this time. Harry had never been lost before, but he was starting to dislike it very much. What if Sirius left without him? Or Hadrie forgot him? Harry shuddered and grew more panicked, glancing from face to face, hunting for anyone he knew. After fifteen minutes of desperate searching, Harry wandered into Flourish and Blotts, and sat down in a puffy armchair near the door. He tried not to cry, he honestly did, but when you're eight and lost in Diagon Alley, the world seems to be a very big place, and all hope seems to be lost.

He sniffled and then blinked as he felt a tug on his arm. He looked up into the brown eyes of a small girl around his age. She _was_ a girl, but she had auburn hair like Hadrie, so Harry guessed she was all right.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked. "Why are you crying?"

"M'lost," Harry mumbled, wiping his tears away. "And m' not crying." The little girl sighed.

"If you say so. Ronald cries a lot though, don't think you can fool me. My name's Ginevra Weasley."

"I do not cry a lot," a redheaded boy who Harry hadn't noticed until now said. He turned to Harry. "Don't mind my sister. She's only seven. I'm Ron Weasley, I'm eight. What's your name?"

"I'm Harry Potter. I'm eight, too."

"Well, do you want to place with us until your family finds you?" Ginevra asked.

"You really think they'll find me?" Harry asked hopefully. Ginevra smiled.

"Of course, silly. There are a lot of kids in our family, and we get lost all the time. But, we always get found."

"Lot's of kids? How many?" Ginevra looked confused for a second, trying to count in her head.

"Uh… Well, there's Bill, he's eighteen. He just graduated from Hogwarts. And Charlie, who's sixteen. Then Percy, he's twelve. The twins are ten. And then there's me and Ron." Harry's eyes widened.

"Wow, that's a lot of kids. I only have my brother. He's eleven."

"So, you wanna play?" Ron asked. "Ginevra and me were gonna play Exploding Snap with the twins, but they don't want to play with us, because we're too young. It's no fun with only two players." Harry agreed quickly.

"No fair, cheating!" Harry cried as Ginevra looked at a face down card. She made a face at him. "You gotta shuffle it into the deck, Ginev… Ginevr…" Harry, frowned, having a bit of difficulty pronouncing his new friend's name. "Ginny," he said decisively, after a moment. Ron snickered, causing the newly-dubbed Ginny to glare at him.

"Don't laugh! He can call me Ginny if he wants to. I like it!"

"Harry!" Harry looked up, spotting Hadrie in the doorway, with Sirius close behind. He jumped to his feet and near-tackled his brother in a hug. Hadrian laughed, and Sirius smiled.

"We were a bit worried about you, Sunshine," Sirius said. "Nearly went and called in the army, not to mention the navy." Harry shot Sirius a "yeah, right" look. "Truth!" Sirius exclaimed.

They purchased Hadrian's textbooks, and Harry said good-bye to Ron and Ginny.

"Who were those kids, Sunshine?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. "They looked pretty familiar."

"Ron and Ginny Weasley," Harry supplied. Sirius nodded with a smile.

"Ah, the youngest Weasleys, I had wondered. Their parents were friends with me and your parents. A kinder family you'll never see."

"Can they come over and play?" Harry asked hopefully.

"We'll see."

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

Platform 9 ¾ was more crowded then usual, this year. This was mostly due to the fact that it was Hadrian Potter's first year at Hogwarts, and reporters had gathered from near and far to document the event.

Still, Harry did not find it difficult to spot the crowd of redheads bidding a fond farewell to two of the Weasley children. Brightening, he mumbled something about "being right back" to Sirius and made a beeline for his friends.

"Hi, Ron, Ginny," Harry said quietly, trying not to interrupt the woman who appeared to be the matriarch of the family, and was currently offering solicitous advice to the twelve-year-old Percy.

"Harry!" Ginny cried happily, not caring whether she interrupted her mother or not. As it was, Mrs. Weasley, turned to see the cause of her youngest child's outburst. (Percy looked visibly relieved.)

"Ginevra, dear, who is that?"

"This is Harry, mum," Ron said. "We met him at Flourish and Blotts, remember?"

"Ah yes," Mrs. Weasley said, worry over Percy disappearing in a benevolent smile. "Pleased to meet you, dear. I'm Molly Weasley, Ronald and Ginevra's mum."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, shaking her hand. "Uh, Mrs. Weasley, I was wondering if Ron and Ginny could come over some time." Mrs. Weasley seemed taken aback, whether by the offer or Ginny's new nickname cannot be determined.

"Well, I don't see why not," Mrs. Weasley replied. "We'll just have to set up a play date with your parents…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off at the uncertain look on Harry's face.

"I don't have any parents…" Harry said quietly. "I do have a godfather, though. Sirius Black." Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened.

"Oh dear, how silly of me! Of _course_ you're Harry Potter. The very image of James. But you have your mother's eyes, that's for certain," Mrs. Weasley said. "Well then, I'll have a talk with Sirius, and we'll see what we can do. Ah, here he is, now! Sirius, dear, it's been quite a while!"

Sirius grinned as he approached, Hadrian trailing behind him with an uncertain smile. "Molly! A vision of loveliness, as ever!" Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes at Sirius' antics.

"It appears my littlest have befriended your Harry," she said with a smile. Sirius nodded.

"It appears so. Harry won't shut up about them," Sirius said. Harry blushed, and Hadrian smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. Harry glared at him, and gave him an insignificant shove. Ignoring the byplay, Sirius and Molly proceded to organize a couple days for the kids to play in the near future.

With Sirius' attention occupied elsewhere, there was no one to stop the blonde, outspoken reporter from accosting Hadrian.

"Hello, Hadrian," the young woman said, voice proverbially dripping with honey. "I'm Rita Skeeter, with the Daily Prophet. May I have a moment?"

"Not today, sorry," Hadrian said with a small warning glare. Ms. Skeeter appeared to be oblivious.

"Oh, this will only take a sec-cond," Skeeter said, emphasizing the second syllable as she pulled out a piece of paper and an acid green quill. "Pay no attention to the quill. Quick-quotes, you understand. Now, tell me, Hadrian, how does it feel to be leaving for Hogwarts for the first time?" Harry glared suspiciously at the woman, clinging to Hadrian's arm. Seeing Harry's reaction, Hadrian's eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Skeeter, not today," Hadrian said frostily. Noting Harry's possessiveness over Hadrian and coming to her own conclusions about Hadrian's hostility, Skeeter tried a different tactic.

"Oh, come on, Hadrian, you can tell me!" Skeeter cajoled. "It must be liberating to be leaving… you'll finally get away from your little brother, after all. Looking forward to it?" Hadrian set his jaw.

"Ms. Skeeter. You have crossed. The. Line," Hadrian said emphatically. "Please remove yourself from my presence immediately before I have my godfather do it for you."

Miffed, Skeeter packed up her Quick-quotes quill and stormed off, leaving Harry staring at his brother with uncertainty.

"Hadrie?" Harry murmured, catching his brother's attention. "Do you really want to get away from me?" Hadrian looked alarmed.

"Of course not!" Hadrian exclaimed, giving Harry a tight hug. "Silly cow doesn't know what she's on about… liberated? Honestly! Stupid woman." Harry smiled.

"Don't forget to write?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Hadrian said, "and I'll be home for Christmas, too." Harry's smile widened.

"Good."

.t.o. .b.e. .c.o.n.t.i.n.u.e.d.

**A/N: **At this point, I would normally reply to reviews, but FF.N is stupid and hates me, so I won't. Suffice to say, I thank you all ardently for your support, and hope to hear from you all again this chapter!

love,

riru.


	3. Chapter 2

**Title:** Brotherly Love

**Author:** Riru-chan

**Disclaim: **Harry Potter and all related characters and situations belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended. Hadrian Cain Potter, the prose and the plotline are property of Riru-chan, please do not use without permission.

**A/N:** FYI, if you enjoy reading these types of stories, please join my C2 group, TheSiblingWhoLived! It'd also be very helpful if you gave me archive suggestions. :)

.c.h.a.p.t.e.r. .t.w.o.

Eyes straining, Harry struggled to comprehend the passage's meaning. Exhaustion was dulling his wits, and boredom making his task even more difficult.

"Siri," Harry whined, "Can I be finished yet?" Sirius gave his youngest charge a disapproving look.

"Have you read to chapter three yet?" he asked sternly, concealing his amusement as Harry fidgeted.

"Not exactly…"

"No."

"Aw, Siriuuus…" Harry said. Sirius winced at the expression on the eight-year-old's face – he recognized the puppy-dog eyes he used so often himself.

"That's enough. If you finish reading, we can see if Ron and Ginny can come over to play, okay?" Harry's eyes lit up and he turned back to his reading.

Sirius smiled and leaned back in his armchair. He knew Harry wouldn't be absorbing a word he read, considering the pace at which the eight-year-old was turning the pages. A moment later had Harry holding up the book proudly.

"Finished, Siri!"

"Are you?" Sirius said indulgently.

"Yeah…" Harry said slowly. Sirius held out his hand for the book, and Harry grudgingly handed it over, knowing that he was going to be interrogated about what he had read, as usual.

Amazingly, Harry answered every question correctly. Sirius blinked after the boy as he skipped out of the room.

As the door closed, Sirius slumped in his chair, thinking hard. This newfound precociousness was certainly something to be proud of, but at the same time it was somewhat disturbing. What had caused Harry's sudden ability to absorb information at such an accelerated rate?

Certainly, this would merit future investigation, but for now…

"Siri, can we see if Ron and Ginny can come play, yet?"

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

The rest of the year passed relatively uneventfully. Harry's abnormal capacity for reading had abated slightly, but was still emerging periodically.

For the most part, however, Harry was looking forward to the summer, and with it, Hadrian's return from Hogwarts. This could explain why he could not sit still as he and Sirius stood on the platform, waiting for the scarlet steam engine to pull up.

Sirius shook his head at the boy as Harry wriggled, causing Ginny to give the boy a strange look.

The entire Weasley clan – those not at Hogwarts, in any case – had turned up at the station only moments after Harry and Sirius had. Harry had been unusually indifferent, staring intently at the corner of the platform, where the train would emerge shortly.

Sirius had brushed it off as nerves; he figured Harry must be afraid that Hadrian had changed.

Harry's nerves, however, did not stem from worries about Hadrian's reaction to him. His eyes began to water as he stared at the tracks unblinkingly, emphasizing the dark rings beneath them.

_Something's gonna happen,_ Harry thought anxiously. _Something's gonna –_

"The train is a bit late," Mrs. Weasley said with a frown as she glanced at her watch, comparing it with the clock on the wall that monitored the train's schedule (which currently pointed to "You might as well sit down, this could take a while").

Harry's panicked thought turned into a mantra of _something's gonna happen, something's gonna happen, please let Hadrie be all right, something bad is gonna happen…_

"Are you all right, Sunshine?" Sirius asked, noting the haggard expression on Harry's face.

"Something's gone wrong," Harry said quietly, not looking at his guardian so he could keep his eyes fixed on the same spot. Sirius frowned, placing a hand on Harry's head to smoothe the boy's ruffled hair.

"Don't be silly Harry, everything's fine," Sirius said. Harry shook his head with certainty.

"Mr. Sirius," Ron said hesitantly, "Harry usually knows about these things." Sirius looked at the redhead in askance, but the boy turned away uncomfortably. Failing to make headway in that direction, Sirius kneeled in front of Harry so that his eyes were level with the eight-year-old's.

"Harry, what's gone wrong?" Sirius asked.

"Don' know…" Harry mumbled reluctantly. "Hadrie's…"

Harry trailed off as the Hogwarts Express pulled up to the platform, looking rather like it had fallen through the Earth's atmosphere to get there. The windows were blown out, faint traces of smoke spilling from them. None of the cars seemed to rest on the track just right, giving the impression of rickety instability.

Mrs. Weasley let out a faint "oh," stumbling backwards. She would have fallen had Mr. Weasley not caught her. Sirius stood and whirled, eyes widening.

By this time, Harry was already halfway to the train.

"Hadrie?" Harry cried, hysteria coloring the edge of his voice as he reached the closest car and yanked open the door. Before he could enter, a flood of students tumbled out, rushing to reassure panicked families that all was well. Students were emptying from the other cars as well, and Harry miraculously spotted two heads of Weasley-red hair: Charlie and Percy. The second-oldest Weasley was carrying something relatively large in his arms, and it took Harry a moment to realize that it was Hadrian.

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

The journey back to Potter Manor had been fraught with a tense silence. The Weasleys had decided to travel with them; no one would dare mention leaving Hadrian's side with a frantic Mrs. Weasley fussing over the poor boy's broken bones. When they had arrived at the manor, the adults, Bill, Charlie, Percy and Hadrian had immediately closeted themselves in the library, presumably to discuss how Hadrie had gotten into such a state.

Harry kicked the wall, eliciting worried looks from the younger Weasleys. His green eyes, currently narrowed in anger, were fixed on the double doors that lead to the library.

The twins glanced at each other and shrugged. They never really paid much mind to their younger siblings or the boy they (their siblings) hung out with.

"Relax, Harry," Fred – George? – said, with a hint of exasperation.

"It's just grown-up stuff. Us littles get left out all the time," the other twin affirmed, a disgusted expression crossing his face at the word "littles."

Harry shot them a venomous look, and then returned his gaze levelly to the door. After what seemed like an eternity of terrified silence (after that glare, the Weasley kids feared for their lives if they disrupted Harry again), the library door opened, producing a pale-looking group of adults and students.

"Kids, we're going home. Say goodbye to Harry," Mr. Weasley said softly. Mrs. Weasley clung to his arm, looking as though she were about to collapse – were it not for Bill supporting her other arm, she might have. The typical chorus of "awww, but Daaaad…" was replaced with subdued farewells.

Harry said nothing, staring after them as they left. When the makeshift family was alone, Harry's eyes shot to his brother and godfather.

"What happened?" Harry asked, concern mingling with anger in his voice.

"Nothing that concerns you, Harry," Sirius said firmly, before turning to leave the hall. Harry stared expectantly at Hadrian, who squirmed uncomfortably. Silence once more pervaded the atmosphere. Hadrie opened his mouth several times, as if to offer an explanation.

Finally, the eleven-year-old just reached forward and gave Harry a hug.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hadrian said softly, before following Sirius' path out of the hall.

Harry stood stock still, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Hadrie always told him everything. _Always_. Slowly, a helpless rage started building up in the small boy. Harry clenched his fists, his teeth gritted to prevent him from roaring.

Harry had always trusted Hadrie unconditionally, and in return, Hadrie protected his little brother. Now, however, Hadrie was hiding something. Hadrie was betraying Harry's trust.

The eight-year-old lashed out, punching the nearest wall with as much strength as he could muster. As he stalked off to his room, Harry didn't notice the absence of pain in his hand, nor did he notice the crack in the stone where his fist had impacted.

.b.r.o.t.h.e.r.l.y. .l.o.v.e.

"We're _moving_!" Harry yelped, staring at Sirius in abject disbelief. Hadrie, Harry noticed with slight contempt, didn't seem surprised. It had been a week since the Hogwarts Express debacle, and Harry was still not speaking to Hadrian.

Sirius sighed, his eyes raising to the ceiling as if to beg the ceiling-gods for patience. Harry bristled inwardly; he wasn't _that_ difficult, was he?

"Just for a while," Sirius said. "Hadrian will still be going to Hogwarts, and you will be able to go as well." Harry remained silent as his shock wore off, and slowly he relented.

"Where?" Harry asked mullishly. Sirius smiled, ruffling Harry's hair.

"Better brush up on your French, Sunshine, we're moving to Calais."

.t.o. .b.e. .c.o.n.t.i.n.u.e.d.

A/N: Well, I honestly have no excuse for being late except that I've been reading too much. Sorry… Another piece of bad news for those who thrive on my updating this story :cough:… **I'm moving to Japan for five months**. Well sort of. Foreign exchange in any case. I will be staying with a host family, which means that any use of the Internet/computer will be severely restricted. In other words… no updates until February, at the earliest. And after that, it's college-prep for me… (OMG, I'm a freakin' _senior_, when did _that_ happen?)

Anyway, sorry this is short. X And… yes. Calais. Why Calais? Because it's the only place in France I've ever been. You can cross the English Channel by ferry from Dover, and spend a day in Calais. Perhaps they will move to a certain Japanese town when I return in five months, but I cannot say for sure. ;) On the other hand, maybe they won't. I fear this may turn into an international epic, like certain others of my favorite fics. :coughRorschach'sBlotcough::coughLouisIXcough::plug plug:

On another note, I'm getting so questions about my story! Yay! This is the first time I get to do an…

.f.a.q.

Q: Why did Hadrian lie?

A: It was on instinct. Hadrian's whole life is about protecting Harry, and this time Hadrie's saving him from the whole "Boy-Who-Lived" deal. Besides, if he didn't, there would be no story.

Q: Why is Harry such a pushover? Isn't he dark/independent/Slythern!Harry? (not directly quoted.)

A: No. Harry is not dark/independent/Slytherin. I never said that, people just assumed it because that's usually how people write him in these kinds of stories. Harry isn't exactly a pushover, either… he just hasn't had the chance to show his mettle yet. : That's why it's important that Hadrian's away at school instead of home schooled — with Hadrie around, Harry doesn't need to be strong because he's got his own personal protector. He's also tormented by horrible dreams. That can do a number on a kid. :(


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